CHANCE FOR SABAHAWKS TO AVENGE DEFEATS

PRESENTED ......CHIEF MINISTER cum Sabah Football Association (SAFA) President Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman being presented with a new Sabah Hawk jersey sponsored by Graceone, watched by Vice President of SAFA Datuk Osman Jamal (third left) and Deputy President of SAFA Datuk Lawrence Gimbang (right).

By : FIZAH YUSOF

“NOTHING is impossible for Sabah football team,” Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman said when he presented the SAFA football team line up for the 2013 new season Premier League at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday.

Musa who is also the President of Sabah Football Association (SAFA) told the Sabah football players that they must carry themselves with dignity as Sabah players in the coming Premier League season.

“You have a duty to your supporters who expect good performance at the matches. There is no excuse for any player to sell the game or commit any wrongdoing that could jeopardise the team's chances of winning,” he said.

The team, also known as Sabahawks, was demoted to the Premier League level after finishing at the bottom of the heap in their Super League outings last season.

"I have to be honest that I was not happy with our performance in the Super League last season. But I am confident you will do well in the Premier league," he told the players.

The new line-up saw some new faces including returning players Hardy Charles Parsi, Farid Saibun and Ibnu Mohd Kassim, and eight new comers from the Peninsula, namely Terengganu-born Mohamad Syamsuri Mohd Mustaffa, Shahril Sa’ari and Wan Mohd Aliff Wan Jasmi, Pahang’s Mohd Hafizulldin Mohd Noor, Khairul Izwan Khalid, Wan Azwari Wan Nor, Shahril Faizal Ahmad Shariffuddin and Selangor’s Mohd Fazilidin Khalid.

The others are Irwan, Rosdin Wasli, Alto Linus, Shahrul Azhar Ture, Sumardi Hajalan, Julamri Muhamad, Shahrudin Yakup, Radzi Hussin, Zainizam Marjan and Juffery Omopor as well as promoted President Cuppers Leopold Alfonso Otong, Razid Gafar and Sabri Sahar.

The team also added two foreign players, Rhys David Weston of England and Koh Traore of Burkina Faso.

TALKING .....Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman who is also Sabah Football Association (SAFA) president talking to Sabah Hawk Head Coach David McCreery at the unveiling the Safa football team for the 2013 new season premiere league at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu.

Meanwhile, David McCreery the new coach for Sabah Football team believed that team can bring back respect to Sabah in the football scene.

“It is very important for the team to work together as a unit. My mission is to bring forward the best of what Sabah team can offer,” he said.

McCreery, who played for Northern Ireland in the World Cup final in 1982 and 1986, saw a need to strengthen the scoring and defending position in the team.

“We need to work hard on the system and I believe we are ready and looking forward for the first game,” he said.

The team will make their first appearance in next season’s Premier League on Jan 7, against SPA FC at the Likas Stadium Kota Kinabalu. (Insight Sabah)